The Corrections Department has been instructed to transfer political prisoners now mostly held at Klong Prem Central Prison and Bangkok Remand Prison to other facilities to reduce overcrowding and other problems, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin said on Wednesday.
Mr Somsak said it must be admitted there were now more political prisoners at Klong Prem Central Prison and Bangkok Remand Prison in Bangkok than at other prisons.
They drew a large number of visitors - close family, other relatives and supporters. This caused many problems, including anti-government protests in front of the two prisons.
"People travelling on Ngam Wong Wan road have been affected by the protests, which cause traffic congestion," he said. Sometimes the road had to be closed.
"So, we must try to spread out political prisoners, to solve these problems. In order to do this, the prison commanders are the ones to make the decisions," he said.
The minister said political prisoners should be shared out to Thonburi Remand Prison, or elsewhere.
Mr Somsak said that at a meeting with senior officials of the Corrections Department on March 4 the number of inmates in prisons was discussed. It was agreed prisoners should be redistributed.
He said double-tier beds had been built and sleeping quarters adjusted at other prisons to enable them to hold up to 300,000 prisoners altogether.
And, with more prisoners to be freed on parole and fitted with electronic monitors there would be more space in prisons, he said.
At the meeting, he instructed prison commanders nationwide to prepare a plan for the dispersal of prisoners, to reduce overcrowding, and have it ready for him by March 15. Transfers of prisoners must be made under tight security and with proper disease control measures in place, he said.
Mr Somsak said there were already two masterplans, drawn up in 2004 and 2019 before he was minister, for the development of Corrections Department infrastructure. The plans concerned construction works and transfers of prisoners from 2019-2036, and must be implemented.
The justice minister said he wanted to also build industrial estates where inmates could receive occupational training on the job, so they could find work after being released.
As for the idea of having privately run prisons, raised by MPs in the House of Representatives, he had asked the Office of the Judiciary to make a study.
Mr Somsak said a report that he was thinking about having a new prison especially for political prisoners was not true.
He would not support such a policy. All people should be treated equally, in line with the principles of human rights.